The Classical Voice Studio of Diana Farrell

Audition Room Blues

Monday, April 19, 2021 by Diana Farrell | THOUGHTS FROM THE STUDIO

Why did you start singing? Chances are it was because singing and performing made you H A P P Y 😃🤞 So what happens when it becomes a source of stress, worry, defeat, or self doubt? I was a collegiate singer for 8 years - undergrad through Artist Diploma - and I was performing at least 3 days a week. I loved it! Sometimes it was a formal concert or production, sometimes it was just for my studio mates or a classroom demonstration. Once you leave the cocoon of school, performances are fewer and far between. You start the endless parade of auditions and sometimes you don't get work for a while. Those first couple of years I started losing steam (and money), wondering if I would ever get to perform for an audience again. One day I walked into the audition room and I thought, "This is a long shot, so I'm just gonna give them a good show." That attitude changed everything! The people on the other end of the casting table WANT to be entertained and you WANT to perform, so do it! When I changed my mindset, every chance to be heard became a chance to perform and I loved what I was doing once more… I also started getting work. It's so difficult to practice being in an audition situation until you're actually there, so why not think of the audition room as your stage and have fun? 

Embrace Your Sound

Monday, April 12, 2021 by Diana Farrell | THOUGHTS FROM THE STUDIO

Singing 101: Embrace your unique sound! When I was an undergrad I adored Kiri Te Kanawa. I ate up everything she sang and listened religiously. She was really a gateway drug to Renee Fleming and I had the two of them on repeat for most of my favorite arias in my early college days. This is not a problem, except that even though I knew our voices didn't sound the same, I still tried to approach the music in the exact same way. It did not work for me! Even if I was not trying to manipulate my sound, I was absolutely not supporting my voice the way I needed to. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to study with some amazing teachers who really helped me find my own sound. Like my Kiri & Renee recordings, I didn't always share the same voice type as these teachers, but they helped me to make room for my own sound and balance the energy I needed to properly support it. Today, I have a handful of divas that I will listen to and identify with when it comes to technique and how to approach a difficult line, but I am much more aware of how different instruments deliver a musical idea differently. It can feel like we are always trying to measure up to our idols, but our differences - and unique qualities - are something to celebrate! I tell my younger and beginning students: listen to as many people as possible so you don't get stuck believing that there is only one correct approach or interpretation of a line, or a role, or an aria. Find out what your strengths are, figure out the most efficient and supportive way to show those strengths off in your own voice, and share your unique sound in a way only you can. 

Here's an Opinion...

Monday, April 5, 2021 by Diana Farrell | THOUGHTS FROM THE STUDIO

📷: A sneak peek of me in my virtual teaching setup. Making do with what we've got and pretty fortunate to be able to work this way. Excited, however, that it will be getting a big facelift in a couple weeks!

 What's that old saying about opinions? Well, everybody's got one 😉 I'm back with more #MondayMusings
The beauty of age and experience is that you learn not to care about everyone else's opinions. I now have a much easier time wading through the muck to find constructive criticism that will actually help me grow and that is a skill I try to help my students cultivate. More often than not, someone's opinion of you and your voice has much more to do with the person doling out advice than the person it's meant for. When you hear advice or opinions on you and your work ask yourself: Is this coming from someone I can trust? Do they want to see me grow and improve? Or are they serving their own agenda? Check out my blog post for @lyricoperaoc on how I learned this lesson the hard way in their new series: #LOOCOffBook www.lyricoperaoc.org/offbook




Practice with a Plan

Monday, March 29, 2021 by Diana Farrell | THOUGHTS FROM THE STUDIO

📷: Last month, enjoying a day on the beach with the family when life was overwhelming. Recharging and relaxing for better focus.

 "I didn't have time to practice this week!" Yes, I hear it all the time and trust me: I feel you. There have absolutely been times in my life where I did not believe I had time to practice. Most of the time that meant I was not mentally in a place where I was able to focus during the time I had, either because I was overwhelmed with other things, didn't think the time I had would be "enough", or I simply wasn't motivated... or was a year+ into a global pandemic with another six months to go before most people venture into live music making. Sound familiar? Yeah. Sometimes it's overwhelming and you need to be gentle with yourself. We're all doing the best we can. So, what does practice look like for a busy working/SAHM mom of two when I do have the mental space to make it happen? When I'm very lucky, it is 45 minutes in a quiet house next to a piano studying my scores and focusing on tricky passages. The rest of the time, it looks very different: It may be listening to different recordings and interpretations of music in an earbud while prepping lunch for kiddos; it may be using bedtime songs to focus on my breath support and pianissimo singing; it may be speaking music in rhythm to the baby while we clap and play on the floor; it might even just be silently reciting music in my head while marking my breath before I go to sleep. It is often not caring about the funny looks I'm getting when parked at an intersection and singing at the top of my lungs while running a quick errand. The point is, there's always time to practice if I'm in the right headspace, have a proper goal in mind, and make a conscious choice. If I'm too burnt out to make the time, then scheduling time to decompress is *part* of practicing. After all, as many athletes will tell you, practice is 90% mental and 10% physical ...give or take.